Progress Honored at MassTLC Tech Top 50 Awards Event

Progress was awarded an honorary certificate for Workforce Culture, while Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer Dr. Shirley Knowles received the Mosaic Award.

On February 29, executives and employees from some of Massachusetts’ top tech companies came together to celebrate the region’s businesses, leaders and technologies that have made a positive difference in the past year.

MassTLC’s Tech Top 50 honors local companies, individuals and accomplishments that exemplify leadership and excellence in the Massachusetts technology community. The awards span ten categories: CEO of the Year, CMO of the Year, CTO of the Year, Mosaic, Business Accomplishment, Startup of the Year, Social Responsibility, Workforce Culture, Cybersecurity Response and Responsible AI. 

“It’s been a challenging year for the tech industry, and despite that, we see the strength and resiliency of this ecosystem.” said Sara Fraim, CEO of MTLC. “Massachusetts continues to prove that we are a force for innovation and business strength.”

We were thrilled to receive an honorary certificate for Workforce Culture, which celebrates our unwavering commitment to fostering a dynamic work environment. We were also nominated for the Social Responsibility Award, which recognizes companies for their efforts to give back to their communities.

The highlight of the night came when Dr. Shirley Knowles, our Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, won the prestigious Mosaic Award. The award recognizes an individual for their exemplary leadership within their company in the development of a more equitable, diverse and inclusive tech workforce in Massachusetts.

Shirley has been an advocate for inclusion and diversity both within Progress and beyond. In 2023, she hosted and presented at events, sessions and conferences worldwide on the topics of I&D and belonging. At the Women in Tech conference in Boston last fall, she spoke about how to become an ally for people different than you.

“Thank you, MassTLC, for this award. There is a community of Progress employees who are inclusion and equity champions as well, so this is for them, too,” Shirley said.

We’re proud to be recognized as a leader in workforce culture, social responsibility and I&D. In January, The Boston Globe included Progress in its annual “Top Places to Work” list for the third consecutive year and named us a 2023 DEI Champion for encouraging policies that support diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Earlier this year, we also received the bronze “Employer of the Year” award of the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, highlighting our commitment to fostering an inclusive work environment.

“Our culture thrives because our people are as committed to one other as they are to our customers, partners and to the community around us,” said Katie Kulikoski, Chief People Officer, Progress. “They continuously act according to our values, hold one another accountable and identify new ways to support the global community—all while continuing to serve our customers. It is an honor to receive these accolades because they recognize the amazing work of our people.”

Our people drive Progress, and without them, we wouldn’t get this kind of recognition. It’s inspiring to see the work they do each day, and the awards from MassTLC give us even more reason to be proud to work at Progress.